History of One Hanover

One Hanover is composed of four originally separate structures. The main structure is a three-story brownstone building designed in the Italian Renaissance style and completed in 1854.

The building has had numerous occupants in its history. It initially served as the headquarters of the Hanover Bank and was once home to the Haitian Consulate. The building is particularity known for being the headquarters of the first United States cotton futures exchange, the New York Cotton Exchange, founded in 1870. It was at that point the structure took on the appearance of a single building, rather than a pair of small ones.

The New York Cotton Exchange occupied the building from 1872 to 1885. One Hanover subsequently served as the headquarters of W.R. Grace and Company until the early 1910s. In 1921, the structures were purchased by the India House.

India House, as an organization, came into being in 1914, when a group of business men headed by James A. Farrell, then president of United States Steel Company, in collaboration with Willard Straight, decided to create a meeting place for the interests of foreign trade. India House acquired the property in February 1921, and on the expiration of certain leases in 1924, rearranged and rebuilt the structure.

Many statesmen have been members of India House, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Hopkins, Henry Morgenthau, Jr., James Byrnes, W. Averell Harriman, George C. Marshall, Henry Cabot Lodge and Cyrus Vance. Other members include previous mayors of New York, including John P. O'Brien and the famous architect William Adams Delano, whose firm, Delano & Aldrich, redesigned the interior of India House.

After 101 years, India House sold the property in 2022.

Various architects have made renovations to One Hanover Square, with the three Stone Street stores being gradually combined with the brownstone structure between the 1870s and 1910s. Restaurants have also been housed in various portions of One Hanover Square throughout its history.

One Hanover's design, especially in regard to its later use as the India House clubhouse, has received critical acclaim. The building was designated a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) in 1965 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1972. The building also became a National Historic Landmark in 1977. One Hanover Square has also been depicted in works of popular culture, including the 2001 film Kate & Leopold.